I'm ordering a new 997.2 soon. It's mostly used by the wife during the week and I'll only drive it in the weekends. I'm coming from a 335xi and before that had an E55. I'm really excited about owning my first Porsche (to fulfill my childhood dream).

I have a question though. My wife really liked the idea of the Targa4S of having a open glass sunroof (almost like a panoramic sunroof?), but I know the resale of Targa sucks. We are definitely not getting a cab because we are moving to Chicago next May. Can I get some advice on how to proceed? Thanks!

 

I looked at Targas and came to this conclusion: You either go Cab or hard top. Targa is in the middle of the road and only two things are in the middle of the road -yellow lines and dead armadillos.

Your compromising on both ends, can't drop the top at will, nor do you have the structural support of a hard top. Plus if you are buying a 09' the Targa will drop even more like a stone when driven off the lot.

You can order a cab with the hard top option, put it on in the winter and take off and leave it off all summer..might be an option for you? I have it and even though it's not widley done, it sounds like you would get a lot of use out of this option..GL

 

In the northeast, I find the Targa to be a great middle ground. The car has 4 wheel drive so it is a daily driver. You can open the car up in 7 seconds and in almost any temperature-well most of the time anyway. If you can't open the top than you can have the panorama effect which is just great to drive with. The cab is too limited to enjoy all year round and the regular sunroof is small. Drive a targa and you will just enjoy the drive.

 

Cab or Coupe

 

I would buy a C4S Coupe.

 

The Targa is the right car for a select few. You get some of the benefits of a fixed roof, and the ability to let all that wonderful light in. And in a few seconds, you can get 85% of the way to what a cabriolet would be... without the hassles of a ragtop, the inevitable creaking of that mechanism, and you don't have that wind blowing in the back of the head issue.

Even better, the back glass is a hatch, so loading things onto the rear cargo bay (I mean back seats) is a snap.

For me the Targa 4 was the right choice. I'd never bother with a coupe, and I'm not the cabriolet type... thats too much wind for me.

 

"I looked at Targas and came to this conclusion: You either go Cab or hard top. Targa is in the middle of the road and only two things are in the middle of the road -yellow lines and dead armadillos."

Ken- I am eagerly awiting your response......

Cheers-

SD

 

And to add to that, at any speed! I traded My C2S cab for a Targa and love it, the Cab was great but just too limted here in New England.

 

Sorry, I'm traveling so am slow on the responses today. There is some truth to your observation, so I'm not going to get defensive. Even though I love my T4S, I also miss my cab. I think if I didn't want a cab, and wanted a wide body, I'd go for the Targa again. If I didn't want a wide body, I'd go for the coupe. I like the hatch in the Targa, and also like the fact that it is different than the hundreds of coupes out there in OC. I wouldn't recommend a Targa as a reasonable substitute for a cab, because it isn't the same. It just has a large sunroof, with the disadvantage of impairing rear vision when it is open.

 

Plausible deniability for not having seen the flashing lights of smokey behind you. ;-)

 

Certainty seems to be a personal choice. Have a cab with a hard top for winter. For me best of both worlds as I much prefer the full on convertible for fair weather driving.
Looked at a Targa but didn't get the same full open top feeling from it so I got the cab instead. However, Targa gives you the benefits of a hard top when you want it and almost all the benefits of a convertible when the sun comes out. Tough decision.
Good news is no matter which P Car you get they're all great so while it's still a tough decision you win either way.

 

All the choices are great cars. My post was just from my market observations and based and the conversations I have had with dealers and other owners. I could not go the Targa route because it appeals to a very limited buying pool if I decide to sell at some point. It is just an opinion that your neither fully getting the benefits of a hard top or a Cab. If it works for you great.

 

Besides the obvious resale issues, you gotta like the looks of a coupe better. I hate that "silver" A pillar to C pillar. Especially on a dark car. Just my opinion.

 

Agreed, I prefer the look of the Coupe'..... from the outside.

But I'm usually sitting on the inside... and from that position, its a different game, at least for me.

 

Definitely a personal decision to be sure. We went with the T4S after stepping out of a Boxster S. Living in the Pacific Northwest we (obviously) get our fair share of rain, but there is seldom snow, so the car is a year-round driver. In the winters the sun manages to come out frequently enough and with it the temperature climbs to where you enjoy sliding the top open, but with a full cab it always got a little nippy.

Honestly, nothing beats the openness of a cab, but depending on your weather and how you drive the car, a targa might well be the ideal "compromise" - hard to consider any p-car a compromise really though... Couldn't be happier with her as an all around excellent performer.